Corporates will run India if Modi becomes PM: Gogoi

Launching a fresh attack against Narendra Modi, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Thursday said big corporate houses will run the government if the BJP leader becomes prime minister.

Gogoi told newsmen that if the Bharatiya Janata Party leader becomes prime minister, the situation in India will be like the US, where big corporates influence the government.

"Only big business houses have reaped benefits in Gujarat during Modi's rule. It is similar to the US. Modi came to Assam to campaign. However, he always comes in private jets. Who is financing these private jets," Gogoi asked.

"This is not happening only during election time. Earlier also, whenever Modi used to travel, he used private jets. As chief minister, I also travel but I go in general airlines. We cannot even afford to hire private jets," the Congress leader said.

"Modi has even hired an American public relations firm to manage his publicity for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. His waistcoat, hairstyle, shoes, and spectacles, everything is by designers. All of these are sponsored by corporates," he said.

Gogoi also slammed Modi's model of development, saying the Gujarat model would have been disastrous for Assam.

He ridiculed Modi's claim of high employment in his state, saying the Gujarat government recently advertised for 1,500 lower-rank posts and "surprisingly, the number of applicants was over eight lakh".